We were fortunate to have Lizzie Booth join us at our Somerset West support group recently. Lizzie works for Trackimo in the Western Cape. The Trackimo device discussed is a compact, lightweight device with long-lasting battery life (3 days) which provides families with tracking services, which can be used to keep your loved one with dementia safe and provide families with a sense of reassurance.
Advantages
- It is a small device which can be hid in the lining of the person’s pants, a small pocket can be created; where you can place the device so that you are assured the person living with dementia doesn’t remove it.
- You can set a GEO fence on the device, which is a virtual barrier/boundary, the person with dementia can go for their daily walks within their usual route and if they go beyond their route, a person (their care provider/family member) will be notified via SMS and Email.
- The device connects with the app on the care provider’s device (either cell phone/laptop) and it does not work with data, it works with GSM and GPS connections, which is worldwide and provides an accurate position of where the person is.
Disadvantages
- As with many technical devices, the battery needs to be charged every 3-4 days, depending on use. A message will be sent to the care provider/family member when the battery becomes flat. There are car chargers available as well for the device.
- The device is not waterproof, but they do sell waterproof cases that will protect the device.
- At times the device loses signal in a shopping centre due to the metal roof and you are then not able to identify the exact location of the person.
Costs and Logistics
- The average cost is R1500.00 with 12 months subscription fee included
For any further questions or queries feel free to contact Lizzie Booth, at [email protected] or 082 376 6776